One or more battery modules has been proposed as a clean, efficient and environmentally responsible power source for an electric device such as an electric vehicle, for example. A plurality of individual battery cell assemblies forms a battery module. The battery cell assemblies can be of various types, such as lithium-ion battery cells, for example. The battery module is provided to supply an amount of electric power sufficient to operate the electric device.
The plurality of individual battery cell assemblies must be physically supported and protected, as well as be in electrical communication with each other and the electrical device. Further, it is often desired to provide cooling to the battery cell assemblies during a charging and a discharging thereof. During typical charging and discharging cycles, gases are formed and trapped within the battery cell assemblies. If unattended over time, the trapped gases can cause damage to the internal structures of the battery cell assemblies, such as for example, delamination of the electrodes from the current collectors or loss of electrical or ionic contact. The delamination process and the loss of electrical contact can result in a degradation of the electrical battery performance.
It would be desirable to produce a battery module wherein the effects of the gases produced within the individual battery cell assemblies during charging and discharging cycles is minimized.